Summer Update

If you ordered a school supply kit from the ABC Parent Group, the kits can be picked up on Tuesday, August 15th during the hours of the Meet & Greet (12:00pm-3:00pm). A table will be set up in the cafeteria where you can pick up your child's pre-ordered supply kit.

If you are unable to come to the Meet & Greet, your child's supply kit will be delivered to their classroom for the 1st day of school on August 16th.

Please join us on Tuesday, August 15th for a Meet & Greet from 12:00pm - 3:00pm.

Your child will have the opportunity to meet their teacher and familiarize themselves with their classroom. We strongly encourage you to drop off your child’s school supplies on this day. It will make the first day transition much smoother if the children do not need to manage large amounts of supplies on the first day of school.

Our first day of school for Kindergarten through 3rd grade students is Wednesday, August 16th. It will be a regular day of school. Please remember students dismiss early every Wednesday; therefore, K-3 students dismiss at 1:50pm.

Our first day of school for Pre School students will be Monday, August 21st.

Ms. Peterson (Special Education) is now Mrs. Quinlan

Ms. David (2nd grade) is now Mrs. Keating

Ms. Samuels (PreK Paraprofessional) is now Mrs. Milenkovic

These staff were married during last school year in beautiful ceremonies and will be starting the 2017-2018 school year with their new last names.

Please join me in welcoming our new staff members to Kennedy School. Please read below to learn more about staff members who may work with your child.

Lauren Oraham graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 2010 with a degree in Elementary Education and a concentration in English. In addition, she has a certificate in gifted learning. Lauren's professional goal is to obtain a master's degree in curriculum instruction. Even though Lauren is new to the Kennedy Family, she has been teaching in the south Chicago suburbs for the past five years. Lauren is from Chicago and lives with her husband Nick and their dog Rizzo. When she is not teaching, Lauren enjoys cooking, reading, running with Rizzo, spending time with family and friends, and watching the Chicago Cubs!

Stephanie Winberg will be the new Art Teacher at Kennedy Elementary School. She is very excited to join the Kubbies Community! She lives in Chicago with her wonderful boyfriend Dave and enjoys cooking, drawing, walking, and live music. Stephanie is a Chicago native and grew up on the Northwest Side in Edison Park. She has two amazing parents and sister, and is the proud aunt of three nephews under 5 years old. Stephanie graduated from Loyola University with a BFA in Art History and pursued her teaching degree a few years later at Northeastern Illinois University- with an emphasis in 2D Art: drawing and painting. She is happy to be at Kennedy & excited to meet all of the new student artists.

Patrick McFadden grew up in Lombard, Illinois. Patrick graduated from Western Illinois University. This will be his 5th year working in District 81. He previously served as a Special Education Paraprofessional and a Physical Education paraprofessional at Washington School. He is extremely excited to start the school year as Kennedy’s Physical Education Teacher! Aside from teaching in District 81, he is a general education tutor for elementary school students. Patrick loves spending time with his wife, Samantha, 6 month old daughter Addisyn, and dog Maitey. His favorite place to vacation is Key West. He loves cheering on the Cubs and Bears and spending time with his family and friends.

This will be Melissa's second year working at Kennedy Elementary. Last year, she worked as a paraprofessional for the Special Education program. This year she is very excited to be teaching the first half of the school year in the Reading Room for a teacher on maternity leave (Mrs. Weinthaler will be home through December). Melissa graduated from Elmhurst College with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She is currently completing a Master’s Degree in ESL and Bilingual Education from American College of Education. Prior to teaching at Kennedy, Mrs. Peterson has worked as a first, second, and fifth grade teacher in Elmwood Park and Franklin Park. Aside from teaching, Melissa’s other passion is fitness. She enjoys living a healthy lifestyle and helping others to do so. She loves spending time with her husband and their two Dobermans. They spend most weekends with family, dining out, and working on projects around the house. Mrs. Peterson is looking forward to another successful year at Kennedy!

Please join me in congratulating Mrs. Weinthaler and Mrs. Sosa on the birth of our newest kennedy kubbies!

Email: mkartsimas@sd81.org
Website: www.sd81.org/kennedy
Location: 3945 Wehrman Place, Schiller Park, IL, United States
Phone: 847-671-0250
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Schiller-Park-School-District-81/809579622473689?fref=ts
Twitter: @SPKennedy81